Entries in TechFlex
(1)

Ok, I admit it. The '02 R1150GS Adventure's starting to show its age. I've had those wandering thoughts... and eyes. I've even considered picking out a replacement for the old girl. But, when it comes right down to it, she's still a really good girl and she takes care of my riding needs - regardless of some of the cosmetic issues that have developed in her first 116K miles.

As she's aged, one of the "issues" she's developed relates to the rotting of the black, rubbery sleeving that covers the various bundles of wiring running here and there. Most noticeable was the deterioration of the sleeving of the wires running up to the right and left handlebar switches.

The GS is not beauty queen when it comes to routing of wiring. So, I set out on a quest to keep some of that extra ugliness hidden from view.

Their split wiring sleeving solutions are perfect for such motorcycle projects and available from various vendors, including Amazon.

I purchased 10ft. of TechFlex F6 woven split wrap in a 3/16" diameter, as well as 10ft. of TechFlex General Purpose split wrap in a 1/2" diameter. I mainly wanted to tackle replacement of the sleeving on the visible wiring running along each side of the bars, but expected to have some other wiring under the tank that also needed some similar attention.

This version of the TechFlex product is split along it's length to allow it to be separated and installed around bundles of wire. The diameter of the sleeving is somewhat adaptable to the diameter of the wiring you're trying to cover. The sleeving wraps around itself providing a bit of tension on the wires held inside.

A hot knife is recommended for working with the TechFlex sleeving. Yes, you could cut it with a scissors, but a hot knife melts the braiding and keeps it from potential unraveling down the road. I didn't own a hot knife, so I purchased the Dremel 1550 Multi-Purpose tool, that comes with tips for wood-burning, soldering, as well as the needed knife blade. A YouTube video showed someone wrapping the sleeving in a bit of masking tape and then cutting through the tape. I tired that method and found it to work really well.

The hot knife blade cut like butter through the tape and TechFlex. Examples of the finished work are shown below:

Under the tank, I found a few other areas of concern and took care of them with some of the of the 3/16", as well as 1/2" sleeving. I was quite satisfied with the results.

Except for some sore fingers from urging the wiring bundles into the split of the TechFlex sleeving, no real blood was shed in the completion of this project. She's still my girl and I think this new look will keep her in my good graces for a few more years.